Rise of the Dawning Moon
by YuriL.101
Summary: What if Yasuhara wasn't the only student SPR grew close to during the Ryokuryo case?


**FILE 6: FORBIDDEN PASTIME PART 1**

* * *

_Let me tell you what I wish I'd known_

_When I was young and dreamed of glory_

_You have no control_

_Who lives_

_Who dies_

_Who tells your story?_

"It is unfortunate to say that-"

_But when you're gone, who remembers your name?_

"-Sakauchi committed suicide and has passed away last Friday."

_Who keeps your flame?_

_Who tells your story?_

"**He's ...gone?"**

* * *

_I'm late! Naru is going to be so mad! _

Mai ran, apologizing when she bumped into a passerby. _If I don't get there on time, I'm done for! _A shiver racked her body, hands trembling from the cold. _Or maybe the cold will get to me first,_ she sighed.

"Watch it brat!" A passerby yelled as Mai ran by.

"Sorry!" She yelled back. Oh! Mai perked up at the sight of the stairs leading to SPR. Checking her watch, there was only a minute left for her to be considered late. With renewed vigor, Mai ran up the stairs, taking two steps at a time. She burst the door open, and smiled thinking she was on time until a Naru's voice broke her happy thoughts.

"You're late. Tea."

"Okay! Sorry." Mai walked towards her locker, stuffing the jacket in before walking towards the small kitchen counter.

"Ryokuryo High School was on the news again, and I couldn't help but watch. This time, there were some students who made a commotion about a big dog biting them right in the middle of class." Mai grabbed the container filled with tea and struggled to get the lid off. "But the teacher said he didn't see anything." _Why won't this container open? _"We got a call from the principal there once, didn't we?" _Yes! _Mai finally popped open the container but paused when she didn't receive a reply.

Turning around-container still in her hands-Mai noticed another person standing in front of Naru's desk. "A visitor?" _And it's a high school student. _

The student blinked at Mai's question and immediately introduced himself. "Ah, yes. My name is Yasuhara Osamu, I am the student council president at Ryokuryo High School."

Mai blinked.

"Eh?"

* * *

Mai poured three cups of tea and placed them gently on the table. _I thought Naru turned down the case. But there is a guy from Rokuryo asking for him to take it on. What's going on? _

Naru sipped the tea Mai laid out and crossed his arms after putting it down. "I already turned down your principal to take the case."

Yasuhara nodded. "I know, but the school is in bad shape right now. Strange things happen everyday. Everyone is anxious and forlorn."

"To be honest," Naru sighed. "I am interested in the string of events at Ryokuryo High. However, I prefer to keep out of cases with media involvement."

"I understand how you feel. We are put out by the crowd of reporters everyday too. That's why we are hoping this case can be solved as soon as possible. Please, I'm begging you." Yasuhara bowed.

Naru stared at him impassively, and sighed. "Mai."

"Yeah?"

"Call Ryokuryo High School for me. Tell them we'll take the case."

Mai smiled in unison with Yasuhara.

"Thank you very much!"

* * *

_Who tells your story?_

_Your story?_

In a dark room, a figure is slouched over a wooden desk cluttered with notebooks, pencils, and trashed paper. But over the clutter lies a single note showing the words: **I am not a dog.**

"Sakauchi…."

* * *

Naru, Mai, and Monk walked into Ryokuryo High School and trudged towards the reception desk.

"I'm glad you're here Monk. It would suck to be alone with Naru the whole time." Mai whispered. Houshou Takigawa, or also known as Monk. He's a buddhist exorcist from Mt. Koya. He doesn't look like the traditional monk with his long hair and piercings, but he helped out SPR a lot on our previous cases like the one with Ayami and the doll.

Monk smiled back towards the teen and chuckled at her jab towards the boss. "Don't I know it. When Naru told me about this case, how could I resist? And of course, I got to save dear Mai from the cold clutches of Naru." Both chuckled before they felt a sharp glare sent to them.

Jolting up, they saw Naru silently glaring at them before turning back around to continue walking.

"Well that was unpleasant."

"Well maybe if you hadn't insulted Naru first we wouldn't have gotten in trouble."

"But you joined in too!"

"By the way, where's Lin?" Monk asked, breaking the playful argument.

"He'll be coming once we contact him with the equipment we need. He'll also be picking up Ayako while he's at it. John and Masako said they would be here tomorrow."

Monk opened his mouth to say something but Naru interrupted with a glance towards the two and turned towards the receptionist.

"We are SPR, here for the case the principal asked for."

An old man in a wife beater's sweater glared at him, scrutinizing the young face before giving a cold laugh. "Please, as if the principal would actually hire young upstarts to solve our school's problem of the student's shenanigans. Go home, I don't have time to deal with you." And returned back to typing away on his computer. When he noticed Naru not moving from his spot, the man grew more irritated.

"Listen kid, I told you to beat it. Now leave before I call secur-"

"I'm sorry Mr. Yamakawa!" A voice interrupted.

All eyes turned towards the speaker and saw that it was Yasuhara.

"Yasuhara?" The man spluttered. "What are you doing here? You have class!"

Yasuhara gave an apologetic smile while rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "I'm sorry, but the principal told me to bring the Mr. Shibuya and his group Shibuya Psychic Research to his office."

Flushing in embarrassment, the man-Mr. Yamakawa-grumbled under his breath before going back to his keyboard.

"Thank you for coming all the way out here." Yasuhara greeted. He gestured down the hall, "I'll show you to the principal's office."

Mai gave one last glance towards Mr. Yamakawa before following the group to the principal's office.

* * *

Yasuhara knocked on the door to the principal's office, opening it after a "come in" was heard.

"Excuse me. I have the people from Shibuya Psychic Research here."

The principal and another man Mai didn't know looked at them with cold eyes. She shivered.

"This is their manager-" Yasuhara was about to introduce before being cut off.

"Whatever, just do something about this nonsense quickly, will you?!" The principal gruffed, leaning back into his chair. "For pity's sake, ghosts?! What rubbish!" Throwing his arms in the air for emphasis.

Yasuhara glanced worriedly at Naru who stared impassively at the principal.

"What will the board of directors say about me spending money on this?!" He yelled while glaring towards the group.

Mai glared back at the old man, cheeks puffed in irritation. _What's with this old codger? He's the one who hired us!_

The other man in a jacket turned towards Yasuhara, hands folded behind his back with a frown marring his face. "Yasuhara, why aren't you in class?"

"3rd years have a shorter day schedule."

The man scowled and unfolded his hands, placing them on his hips. "And what about your entrance exams?" He demanded.

"Not to worry. But if I could, I'd like to keep this brief. I would hate to have this cut into my studying time and interfere with my exams." He smiled.

"Ngh-"

"Well Yasuhara," the principal sighed. "You are at the head of the class. I wouldn't worry. Matsuyama-sensei, show them to the conference room we've prepared."

"Yes sir."

* * *

Matsuyama-sensei led the group of four to the conference room, silence reining the space.

"So, you're the manager are you? How old are you?"

Mai frowned. _You? _She thought indecorously.

_Woah, if only he knew. _Monk thought, deadpanning.

"I'm seventeen-years old."

Matsuyama-sensei raised an eyebrow. "What about high school?"

"I'll leave it up to your imagination." Naru replied coolly.

The man grinned, as if the answer explained everything for him. "Hmph, of course. I bet that means you were a dropout. I don't know about this occult business, but how quickly young folks these days escape into such nonsense, and now we've you phony swindlers prowling around. It's outrageous."

Mai scowled behind the man's back. _Who does he think he is saying that?! I'm going to give him a piece of my mind! _

She stomped towards the man, hand fisted and raised in position before Monk quickly grabbed her, trying to stop her from doing anything that physically damaged the teacher. Mai even raised her legs despite wearing a skirt to get back at the man causing Monk to sweat drop.

Thankfully, they finally reached the conference room. Heading inside, the room had two small square desks placed next to each other with a long rectangular one beside the two desks forming an L-shape.

Monk-who had already let go of Mai after deeming it safe-looked around the room, "Now that we've secured a base, what do we do first?"

Naru turned to Monk, thinking about what to do next. " Let's talk to all the students that were involved in any incidents."

"Oh!" Yasuhara perked up raising a hand. "I can do that for you. And I'm sure Yura would want to help out too." He beamed.

Naru raised an eyebrow at the new name. _Yura?_

"Get it done quickly, I'm busy here too." Matsuyama-sensei inputted.

"Sensei, you are free to leave."

He turned to face Naru, a scowl on his face. "I can't do that! It's my job to manage the students."

"Once they are involved in any incidents, they become like my clients as well. I'd rather ensure the privacy of my clients."

"Don't mess with me!" He slammed his hand on the table. "And since when do children get privacy!? Or is it something else?" Matsuyama-sensei sneered. "Does my presence make you uncomfortable?" He taunted.

Mai growled, disliking the man even more.

But Naru didn't do anything, other than impassively staring at the teacher. "A client is a client, regardless of their age. I'd ask you to please leave."

"I'd like to know what they were thinking when they decided to let some bogus spiritualist punk into this school!"

_Checkmate. _

"Then, may I refer you to the principal's office?"

"What!?" He said as everybody else held in their chuckles.

"Well he's right." Monk said, pulling his hand away from his mouth to speak clearly. "We were hired by the principal after all." He said with a smug grin.

"Keh."

Matsuyama-sensei quickly left the room, leaving the rest-excluding Naru-to laugh their hearts out now that the stickler was gone.

"Geez, what an idiot!" Mai chuckled, tears edging on the corner of her eyes. "He should try managing himself in front of the students instead of us. I guess that is what you would call 'the shout of the loser!'"

Monk laughed even more. "M-mai, it is 'howl of the loser,' not 'shout of the loser'!" He snorted.

Mai's face blushed a deep red, embarrassment seeping in.

Yasuhara laughed at the scene. "You're very funny Taniyama-san!"

Mai sweatdropped.

"I'm surprised you didn't do anything to the guy Naru. I thought for sure you were going to do something to bring him down a notch or two."

"It's pointless trying to preach to swine." Naru replied, not looking up from his book to Monk.

Yasuhara smiled at the comment. "That's pretty good."

"Yasuhara-san, I have a list of the incidents that happened at this school. When class is over, send all the students who were there at the time of the incidents. Also, who is Yura?"

"Oh!" He perked up. "Yura is-" A high pitched scream interrupts him from explaining.

Monk runs out the door and sees a teenage girl on the floor with tears in her eyes.

"What is the matter!?" He yelled as he ran towards her and knelt beside her. "Are you alright?"

"D-dog." She stuttered, pointing towards the classroom.

They all followed where her finger was pointing to and gasped in shock.

In the middle of the classroom, surrounded by upside down desks and broken chairs, stood a black dog oozing a disgusting purplish aura. Its eyes were white, no iris to be seen, and saliva was pooling from its mouth that was layered with rows of sharp teeth. It snarled and snapped at anybody who would move, eliciting small cries of fear from the students inside.

"Is this the same dog?" Naru muttered.

The dog noticed them, and with a bark, ran towards the group jaws open wide. Naru and Monk-who was the closest to the classroom door-dodged the attack and watched as the dog disappears into thin air.

"It vanished!" Yasuhara gasps in surprise shock.

Naru looked back into the classroom, an unnoticeable dip tracing the corner of his lips. "It didn't waste time getting started, did it?"

* * *

_It's not enough_

_-running out of-_

_Time_

**BADUMP BADUMP BADUMP**

A glowing white figure, shaped like a cocoon, emits the soft heartbeat. Two strange lights goes and circles around the odd figure.

_It's not enough_

_not enough_

_not enough_

* * *

_It's already afternoon and we have two more groups to interview. I didn't think so many students were affected by the incidents at this school, _A new batch of students-8 girls-enter the room. _But I guess I was wrong. _

"Hey, welcome. Thanks for coming despite how late it must be. Please, sit."

"Mai, tea."

Mai groaned, "Yes, yes. I'll get it done soon. Stupid narcissist." she grumbled.

Naru ignored her, turning back to the students who looked uneasy and nervous. "Can you tell me your experiences with the incidents happening at this school?"

A female student with her hair in a ponytail spoke first. "Well, there are ghosts in the classroom and I won't come to school because of it."

He raised an eyebrow. "You say that you won't come to school because of ghosts in the classroom. Could you elaborate?"

"Yes, um ...it wasn't just any classroom. It was the LL classroom. I was playing back a tape that I had recorded during class. As I did, I heard a strange voice. I thought the voice was just a lot of static. But then, I heard laughter."

"Laughter? Could it have been from the other students around you? What made you so sure that it wasn't?"

"The voice sounded like a child, and I swear I heard that the voice belonged to a child. No matter how many times I adjusted the volume, a child's laughter could be heard with my recording. And then, I felt it."

Naru shared a glance with Monk.

"Felt...what?"

"A hand, on my knee. I didn't know what to do, and when I looked down, there was a little boy smiling back at me creepily. I told the teacher, but she wouldn't believe me. But, he really was there!" The girl started crying and the other students tried to comfort her with soft words and light pats on the shoulder.

Naru folded his hands under his chin, contemplating the information that was given to him. "Was there anyone else who saw him?"

"We all saw him. Most of the students in our class heard him too." Another girl said. "We've tried telling the teacher we were too scared to attend class but…"

"She wouldn't listen." Naru finished.

She nodded silently. "That's why we all stayed home from school."

Monk wrote down the new information in the notebook. "A child's spirit in the LL classroom, huh?"

"Do you know of any other strange incidents that took place at school?"

The girls looked at each other before each of them began telling different stories.

"There's the unopened locker,"

"And the anatomy model that goes to pieces when no one is around."

"Sounds coming from the music room."

"They say that when you open the incinerator door, an old man sticks his face out upside down."

"Also, there are in the beds in the nurse's office. Before you know it, someone will be lying on the second one from the far end!"

Mai stared at them with a blank face while Monk frantically wrote down everything as all the different stories were thrown at him.

The girl who was crying from the first story also popped in another incident.

"Someone said that they've seen Sakauchi-kun."

Naru raised his head in interest.

One of the girls nodded, "I've heard that too. Someone passed him in the hall or something."

"He was standing in the classroom too."

Naru's interest raised. "Sakauchi? Who is that?"

"Um, he's a first year that committed suicide in September."

Mai gasped silently. _Suicide?_

"They say all the weird stuff started happening last fall...which is to say, after Sakauchi-kun committed suicide."

"I'm thinking that maybe Sakauchi-kun's suicide is connected to all of this." Another girl said worriedly.

"Whats more, his suicide note became famous immediately." A girl with braids added.

Naru looked at her. "Suicide note?"

"Yes," she nodded. "The note said: 'I'm not a Dog.'"

Naru tapped his finger on the desk, "Do you know what it means?"

"I think I know. I've thought the same thing when I'm at school too."

Mai and Monk looked at each other worriedly. This case did not bode well.

* * *

"Man, those kids must hate school, huh? Not that I can't understand why."

"Huh? Why?"

Monk stared down at her indecorously. "You're currently a student. Didn't you notice?"

Mai raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"The uniforms, the hairstyles-they were all a bit too regular, weren't they? How about the fact that no one bleaches their hair these days?"

"Oh yeah, it's not your era anymore Monk."

Monk sighed. "How old do you think I am?"

"Well,"

"No, don't tell me." He said raising a hand towards the girl to stop. He wouldn't be able to take it if the girl brought out an outrageously high number.

"Oh, okay."

"I'm just saying, the school rules seem pretty strict, don't they?"

Mai nodded. "Yeah, I get what you're saying."

"Look at the principal and Matsuyama, you can kind of see the way the teachers here lean right?" Monk asked for confirmation, continuing when he was given one. "School is the biggest part of a student's life after all. So as squeezed as they are here, it must be incredibly stressful on them."

_I'm not a dog, huh? _Mai thought.

The sound of the door opening brought Mai back to attention.

"If I may,"

_Oh?_ "Yasuhara-kun!?"

Monk looked at the boy in surprise. "You're a victim too?"

"Yes, you are correct."

Yasuhara turned back to Naru and smiled apologetically. "I would have brought my Vice-president too since he was one of the main victims but he couldn't come today because of the work. I apologize for that."

"Your Vice is also a victim? And what do you mean by main?"

"I recommended my vice earlier to you this morning because of the many incidents that happened towards him. For example, the purple dog that appeared this morning. Many students I spoke with told me to thank him for saving them from getting bitten. Though I never really understood what they meant by dog until this morning." He finished with a weak chuckle.

"Your vice is Yura?" Naru asked.

"Yes, his full name is Yura Akatsuki. I am technically his senpai, but because he is in the same year as me, well…"

"What do you mean by that?"

Yasuhara smiled. "Yura is an fifteen-years old student who is in the same grade level as me, a third year. He will be graduating early in about three weeks time because of a medical problem but overall, he is extremely bright and very talented."

Mai blanched, _He's younger than me and is already graduating!? What the heck!?"_

Monk whistled in admiration. "Damn, he's gotta be smart to escape this school so early."

Yasuhara nodded.

"Well then, could you please tell me the details of your incident?"

"Yes. Ever since this morning, I thought there was something wrong with the air in my classroom."

**FLASHBACK**

_It was during my math class when a student started to feel sick. That is where the problem began._

"**What, you're not feeling well?" The teacher exclaimed indecorously. "Can't you hold it until the end of class?"**

_The student started to slouch over and was turning paler as the seconds passed by. _

"**Sensei, I'm feeling nauseous too."**

"**What?"**

_After that, all the students started raising their hands in the air telling the teacher they felt sick too. He was furious of course, yelling what is wrong with us. _

"**Stop messing around!"**

_Is what he would tell us. After a student ran out of the classroom, the teacher had me go after him. But it wasn't long after I felt the effects as well._

**END OF FLASHBACK**

"The smell was absolutely nauseating. I haven't smelled something that bad in years."

Monk contemplated what Yasuhara said, "A smell, huh?"

Mai looked at Naru who was staring at the desk in silence. _This is more serious than I thought. _

"Can you show us the class where the incident took place?"

"Yes, of course."

* * *

The group stopped in front of a classroom with a label saying ３−１. Yasuhara opened the door and led them in. Immediately, Monk and Mai grasped their noses in pain as the burning stench filled their nostrils.

"It smells like a fish that was left over for three straight days during the summer."

"It also smells like a fish tank full of frogs." Mai said.

"Is that so, it's just as I thought.." Yasuhara muttered.

"There is no area that is specifically smelly, is there?" Naru asked.

"That's right, the whole room smells."

Naru walked towards him, looking down at the tables with a thoughtful look in his eyes. "Have you done anything here?"

"Eh? What do you mean by 'Have you done anything here?'"

"Like any sénances."

"Sénances?" Yasuhara muttered.

There were two girls behind Yasuhara that began whispering about doing Orikirisama, drawing the attention of the occupants within the classroom.

_Orikirisama? _Mai thought.

"Ah, lately, or at least since last year, Orikirisama has been popular amongst the students."

One of the girls pulled out a paper with a human drawn on and different Japanese characters forming a circle around the drawing and handed it to Monk.

"This is Ouija-Boarding!"

"What?" One of the girls gasped. "Isn't Ouija-Boarding summoning foxes? Orikirisama summons Gods, they help you find your true love and stuff."

Monk crumpled the paper as the girl was speaking, his hand gripping the paper tighter at each word. "Gongen, Hanako, Cupid, Angel: their all just other names for Ouija-Boarding. Whatever name you give it, it's all the same thing. It all amounts to toying around with spirits just for the fun of it."

"B-but the Orikirisama uses Gods, so it is not dangerous." The girl defended.

"That's a load of crap!" Monk yelled causing the girls to flinch. "Any amateur can summon a spirit, but sending them back requires training. Don't do it again!"

Naru frowned. "How popular is this Orikirisama?"

"Um, it was all over the school." The girl muttered. "There probably aren't a lot of people who haven't done Orikirisama."

* * *

_One two three four_

Footsteps pounding against the floor in a sprint can be heard in the empty hallway.

_Five six seven eight nine—_

The figure's thoughts are chaotic, they don't know what to do. _I'm running out of time!_

Little wisps follow the figure's trail causing him to go faster.

_**I'm running out of time!**_

* * *

"I'm back!" Mai greets, slamming the door open.

Monk waves a hand in greeting. "Hey, welcome back. So, did you find anything?"

"It was just as we were told by those girls. Most people did say that they've done it alright."

"I came up with the same results as well."

Mai turned to Yasuhara, sweat dropping at the idea of asking their client to help with the case. "W-we sure are putting you to work Yasuhara-kun." She sheepishly stated out.

Yasuhara blinked and smiled at Mai's concern. "It's fine. I would love to help out my school after all."

"Aw man, give me a break!"

Both Mai and Yasuhara turn to see it is Monk giving the groan of frustration.

"Ouija-Boarding throughout the whole school!? How many spirits do you think we've got here?"

"How many can you estimate?"

Monk hummed and contemplated the number of spirits that could be at the school. "Well, think of a train car packed to capacity, but filled with spirits instead of people."

Mai deadpanned. "Oh, that sounds bad."

"Naru, are you sure about this?" Monk called out. "This is such a chore, and Ouija-Boarding can call out the worst of spirits you know."

"I hope you can do something about-" Yasuhara was about to continue until Monk placed his hands onto the boy's shoulders, smiling eerily. "Eh?-"

"I know! I'll teach you how to drive spirits out, and you can do it!" Monk exclaimed patting down on Yasuhara's shoulders. "Yeah, it's a good idea! Let's do that!"

Mai's eyebrow twitched angrily, fist raised with a noticeable tick mark on her forehead.

"Monk…"

"I oppose the use of force!" He exclaimed, using Yasuhara as a shield.

"How many schools throughout Japan do you think perform Ouija-Boarding?"

"You're asking why this sort of thing is limited to our school, right?" Yasuhara asked, trying to confirming Naru's question.

"Just because a bunch of amateurs holds a séance doesn't guarantee that they'll be able to summon a spirit. Even assuming that they did call up floating spirits by Ouija-Boarding, and one of them happened to be a strong one, it would be understandable how it could do some damage. But, there's an abnormally large number here for that to have happened."

Monk looked down, "I suppose."

"Hey," Mai spoke. "Does Ouija-Boarding really call forth spirits?" It didn't seem possible to her that you could call forth spirits with a board game.

"Well yeah, if you're a spiritualist." Monk confirmed. "Why do you ask?"

"I've done it, back when I was in middle school. A ten cent coin moved on its own, and guessed some things right. What was that all about?"

"Mai, try placing your finger over the desk." Naru instructed. Mai placed her pointer finger on top the table and looked up at Naru.

"Like this?"

"It's shaking, don't move it."

Mai tilted her head in confusion. "I'm not…" She looked down at her finger and noticed it was trembling. "Or at least, I'm trying not to."

"When you have a lot of people doing it, all of your trembling affects the others, and the coin moves. None of you is trying to move the coin, so it seems mysterious to you." Naru concluded.

Mai stared dazedly at her finger.

"Listening to you just now, it doesn't seem like you believe in Ouija-Boarding at all." Monk pointed out.

Naru sighed. "My basis thinking is that the only things that spirits know about better than people do is death, and the world that comes after death."

"You don't say."

Naru lifted himself off the wall, walking towards the stack of papers that held all the incidents that were reported. "Be that as it may, there are so many of these, I don't even know where to start exercising." He flipped through the papers. "We'll probably have to wait until they all come together, and then try whatever we can come up with."

* * *

"No hotel!?"

Mai backed up nervously, sweat dripping down her forehead. "Now, now Ayako. It's not so bad-eep!"

Ayako shoved her face in front of Mai's, pointing a manicured finger at the young girl. "I took three whole hours to get here from Tokyo! And you're telling me to stay in that night watchman's room with the busted heater for a duration of the investigation!?"

Mai unplugged her fingers from her ears, having already blocked out Ayako's rant when she said "I." "Ayako, keep it down."

Ayako Matsuzaki, a self-proclaimed Shinto priestess. She doesn't look much like a priestess with her dyed hair and manicured nails. In past cases, she always called something spiritual the "Work of an earth spirit!" But despite not showing any inclination to actual priestess work, she takes care of everyone and it's nice.

"Mai, you probably won't understand but this has been a long, hard trip." She said looking forlorn.

Mai sweatdropped.

"You try staying cooped up in that tight space with Lin-san!" Ayako exclaimed, nodding her head towards Naru where he and Lin were looking at the recorded incidents. "And for three hours at that!"

"A-alright, we're still better off though."

Ayako gave her a raised eyebrow, not believing the girl.

"It's true! When Masako gets here, there will be three of us in the same room. If you include John, the guys will have four people crammed into a six mat room." Mai and Ayako groaned in disgust, a dark cloud forming above their heads.

Naru and Lin still hadn't looked away from the reports which were attached to the whiteboard.

"In any case, there are too many eyewitness reports and not enough equipment. Tomorrow, I will have Hara-san peer around to confirm the presence of spirits here." Naru turned away from the whiteboard to look at the rest of the group. "Once we know they're here, Monk, Matsuzaki-san, and John will be on exorcism detail. Lin and I will investigate anything more uncertain. Mai," Naru called, looking at the brown-haired teen. "You will relay information and sort things out here. But, report to me if anything happens."

"Anything like what?"

Monk looked down at the girl, smiling. "You're our sixth sense girl, right? Not long ago, you were told you had latent ESP or something, weren't you?"

_That's right. _Mai remembered the previous cases she had done. The mother who committed suicide after losing her child, and the hexer teacher. How could she have forgotten all of that? Mai sweat dropped.

Yasuhara let out a gasp of surprise. "Taniyama-san, you're not just an ordinary person?"

"Well I wouldn't say that." Mai interjected, sheepishly rubbing the back of her head.

"That's right!" Ayako exclaimed, her hand covering her snarky smile. "In recent cases, she just happened to be of some use." Ayako laughed sarcastically.

"There's a certain someone who could try being more useful once in a while." Mai gritted out, a tick mark pulsing at her head.

Monk sweat dropped at the pair and Yasuhara laughed at their little bit.

"By the way, Yasuhara-san. Are you sure you don't need to head home already?" Mai asked, breaking eye contact with Ayako.

Yasuhara nodded. "I was just thinking that someone like me could run errands. I could even call in Yura to help us out!" He exclaimed brightly.

Monk was the opposite. "Six men in a six mat room?" Monk said depressingly. _It's going to be so tight. _

Naru turned back to Yasuhara. "Yasuhara-san, I am grateful that you would stay here, but it's best that you do not stay the night. It's too dangerous."

"Of course, if I'm getting underfoot here, please say so and I'll leave." Yasuhara offered.

Naru contemplated the decision and smiled, coming to a conclusion. "In that case, I will have you help out. For now, I would rather meet Yura before asking him for help."

* * *

"Alrighty."

Mai smiled at the set up they had just finished. "We use this to check out if there are any suspicious sounds." Mai explained, patting the microphone.

"Haah," Yasuhara looked down at the metal box on the teacher's stand, taking in its buttons and many wires. "So spiritualists use equipment like this?"

Mai laughed nervously. She didn't know how other spiritualists did their jobs, so she couldn't really compare them to others. "We seem to be special in that regard. Besides, Naru is no spiritualist."

"Eh?" Yasuhara turned to her confused. The man operated a psychic research group, and he himself wasn't a spiritualist?

"Naru refers to himself as a Ghost Hunter."

"Oh! I know about them."

"How?" Mai asked. Ghost hunter was in english, and not a lot of people were interested in the supernatural anyways.

"Sakauchi, the first year who committed suicide you know? In the guidance survey he did right after he was admitted here, he wrote that he wanted to be a Ghost Hunter when he was older. Although, he probably meant it as a joke.

"He did, huh? So he was interested in this sort of thing." Mai's heart felt for Sakauchi who committed suicide so early in life. _A boy who wanted to be a ghost hunter...I wonder what he would have thought if he saw us._

* * *

_**I'm here.**_

* * *

Mai gasped feeling someone watching her from the door. Turning around, she saw no one. _Is there someone over there watching us?_

Concern washed over Yasuhara who saw Mai watching the door with vigilance, as if waiting for someone to pop up. "Is something wrong?"

"No, it's nothing." Mai smiled, frowning when she looked back towards the door. "Nothing at all."

"Shall we go to the next class chief?"

Mai spluttered and gave Yasuhara a puzzled expression. "Chief? What's that about?" She asked as they walked out the door.

Yasuhara gave a teasing grin, "You don't like it? Then what about boss?" Mai deadpanned. "No, not that."

"Ah right. I guess that would make Shibuya-san the Big Boss."

Mai pictured Naru being the Big Boss and burst out laughing. The image just suited him too well!

"What's with you Taniyama-san?" Yasuhara teased. "You're not tense at all!"

"Whose fault is that for making me laugh!?" Mai retorted.

* * *

A figure watches the pair leave in silence. It is a boy with spiky black hair and wearing the summer uniform of Ryokuryo High School. There is a light blue aura that surrounds him. He whispers something to the pair, but they don't seem to hear him. Walking further and further away until they are gone.

_**I'm here.**_

* * *

Mai walks into a dark purplish space. The sound of her breaths and the clack of her shoes are the only things you can hear.

Looking around, she notices it is not a classroom where she was setting equipment up with Yasuhara-kun. _Where am I? _

Just then, laughter could be heard further in front of where Mai is standing. She notices a teen with a summer uniform leaning over the railing, looking down at something. _Why would a kid be out here so late at this hour? _Mai walked to where the teen was and stood next to him on his right.

The still laughed to himself, not acknowledging her presence.

_Oh! _Mai saw that the school building was right across from her, but then that would mean she is on the roof. _How did I get on the roof? _Mai looked at the building and noticed a white, purplish light moving within the building.

_What in the world?_

Thousands of little balls of white were floating up from the school's windows. The white, purplish light Mai noticed earlier had multiplied, and all were moving around, consuming some of the little balls of white lights. _Their Will-o'-the-Wisps? _

The boy next to her chuckled at her reaction.

"S-say, do you know what those are?" This wasn't something to laugh at. This many Will-o'-the-Wisps could mean trouble."

"Yes, I know. That's why it's so fun, isn't it?"

"Fun you say?" Mai whispered in shock.

The teen turned to her, giving Mai a full view of his face, and the happy grin plastered on. "It's incredibly fun. There's nothing that feels more enjoyable than this."

Mai gasped, recognizing him.

_He's a first year that committed suicide in September."_

"_Sakauchi, that first year student who committed suicide, you know?"_

Mai gave a frightened look to Sakauchi who only smiled back.

**BADUMP BADUMP BADUMP**

Looking into his eyes, there was a weird circular shaped cocoon. And it was emitting soft heartbeats.

_Wha-what is that thing?"_


End file.
